Low Back Pain & Patient Education

Patient education is a very important aspect of caring for patients.
In fact, it can be one of the most important aspects of care. For
example, when patients present with a brand new injury and pain levels
are off the map, it’s quite common for that acute suffering patient to
inappropriately think that, “I’m going to die… this hurts so much!”
Hence, one of the very first things we do as chiropractors is to
determine what structures are generating the pain so we can tell you!

Once
you have an understanding of where the pain is coming from and why it
hurts so bad, then you can be reassured that it’s not life threatening
or dangerous. Also, at this acute point of time, the patient often
unknowingly puts heat on the back, often for hours. This is the WORST
thing you can do as the area is already swollen and putting heat on a
swollen area draws more blood and fluids into it. It’s literally like
throwing gas on a fire. So, receiving proper information from us such
as, put ice on the area for 15-20 minutes on and off several times in a
row to “PUMP” the swelling out of the area will make complete sense.

Also,
did you know that 2/3rds of our body’s weight is above the waist? That
means, when a 150 lbs (~68 kg) person bends over, they are “lifting” 100
lbs (~45 kg) ! That’s one of several reasons why bending over can be so
dangerous. Instead, squat by bending the knees keeping the back
straight and keep objects that you might be lifting close to your body
as that weight literally weighs 10x more when your arms are straight and
you’re lifting. When you can’t squat and have to bend over, bend the
knees, arch your back (literally “stick your butt out”), and bend over
at your hip joints – DON’T use your back. You’ll need to practice that
one a few times before it’s fully understood.

As your back pain
improves, your doctor of chiropractic will review these important
self-help approaches and add new “tricks of the trade” like certain
stretches, some strengthening, and perhaps some balance exercises. Did
you know that your thigh muscles shrink just by sleeping overnight? It’s
true! When you wake up in the morning, your thigh muscles are smaller
than when you went to bed. Well, this same muscle shrinkage (technically
called “atrophy”) occurs in the lower back and hips, so strengthening
exercises are REALLY IMPORTANT! Just think, if your muscles shrink
overnight just from laying in bed, what about when you might have been
told to use bed rest for several days or more? There potentially is a
lot of muscle shrinkage and weakness that can occur in a relatively
short amount of time and therefore, strengthening exercises also need to
be taught in order to regain your strength so you can more safely do
your activities.

Now, what about back pain prevention? What
methods do you think will help reduced your risk for developing low back
pain in the first place? That’s right – managing weight! If your BMI
(body mass index or the ratio between your height and weight) is >25,
then you need to trim down a bit (or more). Go online and search for
“BMI”, and pick one of many “BMI Calculators” to figure out yours. So,
what do chiropractors know about weight loss? Did you know the
chiropractic college curriculum includes more nutritional courses than
most medical schools? Your chiropractor will help you find a way to lose
weight – whether its calorie restriction, a special diet like no/low
salt, gluten-free, or a diabetes-specific diet. Another prevention trick
for the low back (actually, the whole body!) is to STAY FIT! Make
aerobic exercise and even a light weight lifting program part or your
daily ritual.

Members of ChiroTrust® have taken “The ChiroTrust Pledge”: “To the best of my ability, I agree to provide my patients convenient, affordable, and mainstream Chiropractic care. I will not use unnecessary long-term treatment plans and/or therapies.”

Search

Conditions

Archives

This information should not be substituted for medical or chiropractic advice. Any and all health care concerns, decisions, and actions must be done through the advice and counsel of a health care professional who is familiar with your updated medical history.